NPR 2011-09-21

 The country's defense¹ leaders are calling this a historic day for the military and the nation. The ban on openly gay service in the military is officially over. The Chairman of the Joint² Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen says the military's stronger with greater character and honor.

 

"Today is really about every man and woman who serves this country, every man and women in uniform, regardless of how they define themselves. And tomorrow they'll all get up, they'll go to work, and they'll all be able to do that work honestly, and their fellow citizens will be safe from harm."

 

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also spoke³ a short time ago and said he was committed to removing all barriers that prevent Americans from serving their country.

 

One of the last remaining lawsuits⁴ connected to the September 11th terrorist attacks and airlines has been settled. NPR's Tovia Smith reports a Boston family has settled for an undisclosed amount with united airlines and its security contractor⁵ Huntleigh USA.

 

The family of Mark Davis who was 31 when he was killed on United Flight 175 had long refused to settle out of court. Attorney Donald Migliori says they wanted to use the legal process to get answers about what went wrong. They settle now only because a court limited the scope of trial, and they'd accomplished⁶ their goal in hundreds of depositions⁷ detailing security breakdowns⁸.

 

"The screen is working that day. We're not all English speaking as required by law. They did not all understand the aviation security threat we were at that time. Many couldn't identify what remains⁹ were, remains were actually used from the hijacked¹⁰ No.175. That's wholesale¹¹ failure at the checkpoint."   

 

In a statement, United says: "The tragic¹² events of 9/11 impacted all of us, and we are pleased to resolve this case." Tovia Smith, NPR News.

 

Housing starts are down for August from the already low July levels. NPR's Paul Brown reports the monthly numbers offered no big signs of improvement or decline for builders.

 

The new Commerce Department numbers reflect what the National Association of Home Builders calls a market bouncing along the bottom. Overall, August housing starts are down 5% from July with a bigger multi-family drop in places where Hurricane Irene hit. National Association of Home Builders economist¹³ Robert Denk says don't look for much improvement until the job market improves and individuals pay off debts, and he says builders report banks are  still very stingy with credit.

 

"We had builders who complained of banks that not only won't offer new loans, but are calling in existing loans, even those loans that are performing."

 

Denk says his trade group is raising the credit issue everywhere it can. Paul Brown, NPR News, Washington.

 

Dow is up 114 points at last check at 11,515.

 

This is NPR.

 

The International Monetary¹⁴ Fund's outlook for the US economy through next year is worse than previously¹⁵ thought. It's downgrading projections¹⁶ this year from 2.5% to 1.5% for growth, and the IMF says it expects economic growth next year will be under 2% instead of closer to 3% as it had forecast in June.

 

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles is denying clemency¹⁷ for death row inmate¹⁸ Troy Davis, who is scheduled to be executed tomorrow. The case has drawn¹⁹ international attention as the inmate's supporters point to a lack of physical evidence used to convict Davis 20 years ago. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports the broad says it did not make the decision lightly.

 

The Georgia Board said it thoroughly²⁰ deliberated the case before rejecting clemency. Davis was convicted of killing²¹ a Savannah police officer but has always maintained his innocence²². Seven of nine witnesses changed their testimony²³ since the trial, and no weapon was ever found. Davis's supporters, including Amnesty International and the NAACP, say the board's decision is unconscionable. They claim there's two much doubt to carry out the death penalty in this case, but the family of the murdered officer says police got the right man, and they are relieved the execution is moving forward. Kathy Lohr, NPR News.

 

Japan is investigating a cyber attack on its largest weapons contractor. Defense Minister Yasuo Ichikawa says there's no evidence yet that sensitive data's been lost at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. However, the company still plans to strengthen its security systems at the request of the Japanese government.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

5 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

6 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

7 depositions   

沉积（物）( deposition的名词复数 )； （在法庭上的）宣誓作证； 处置； 罢免

参考例句：

• The safety problems are more severe for low-pressure depositions because the processes often use concentrated gases. 对于低压淀积来说安全性问题更为突出，因为这种工艺通常使用高浓度的气体。
• The chief method is to take depositions of parties and witnesses. 主要的方法是录取当事人和证人的宣誓证言。 来自口语例句

8 breakdowns   

n.分解( breakdown的名词复数 )；衰竭；（车辆或机器的）损坏；统计分析

参考例句：

• Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns. 她的旧车老不听使唤，一路上总是出故障。 来自辞典例句
• How do we prevent these continual breakdowns? 我们如何防止这些一再出现的故障？ 来自辞典例句

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

11 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

12 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

13 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

14 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

15 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

16 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

17 clemency   

n.温和，仁慈，宽厚

参考例句：

• The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题，将由国王决定。
• They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。

18 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

19 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

20 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

21 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

22 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

23 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。